A real and active virtue

“True contentment is a real, even an active, virtue – not only affirmative but creative. It is the power of getting out of any situation all there is in it.” — G. K. Chesterton

Although my habit of taking photographs wherever I go sometimes annoys my companions, a few friends share this passion and understand. Photographs are, for me, one way of getting the most out of any situation. When I freeze a moment in time with a photograph, I am saying to myself, “I am happy — or at least content — to be right here, right now, and want always to remember it.” Many of the photos I take are of everyday situations, and I think people are often amused or bewildered at why I would want to capture the mundane or even unpleasant in a photo. But Chesterton’s words have helped me to understand that usually, the urge to bring out my camera springs from the creativity of contentment.

Well put! I, too, take odd (mundane) pics, as evidenced by my fb post today. But they do remind me the everyday is important and worth stopping to appreciate in a captured moment. Thanks for voicing the motive!

Thanks Barb! As Moms, we do a lot of important tasks that are not generally treated with much fanfare, or even noticed at all. Perhaps we develop radar for seeing the many “little” things that will turn out to be big things in hindsight.

I love the way you’ve provided possible reasoning for our photography enthusiasm! It does capture that momentary happiness and contentment. For me, the visual image (whether I’m looking through the camera to find one or later viewing the photo I’ve taken) allows me to be more present, to focus, to quiet everything else that’s going on, whether it be typical noise and activity or emotional distractions. I can get lost in that moment, into another place. Just think Mary Poppins and the sidewalk paintings!

Kathy, exactly! And “framing” a photo helps to isolate just one or a few aspects of a situation, so that they can be appreciated in detail. It’s so easy for tiny, almost miraculous specifics to get lost in the shuffle. Thanks for being with me here, AND for all the times you’ve been with me behind a camera!